Project Safe Childhood

Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide Department of Justice initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. In Vermont, federal prosecutors are teaming with the Vermont Attorney General's Office, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the FBI, ICE, the Vermont State Police and local police departments to identify, investigate, prosecute and convict those individuals who prey upon our children, and those that distribute, receive and manufacture child pornography.

Project Safe Childhood is a more comprehensive approach to combating online child exploitation. It includes a strong partnership between law enforcement agencies and community organizations, including children’s advocates, victim service providers, educators, non-profits and social service agencies. A unique public outreach and awareness campaign will also deliver the message of Internet safety to parents and children.

Among the strategies of Vermont’s Project Safe Childhood initiative:

Increase the number of child exploitation cases prosecuted each year;

Increase the number of investigators dedicated to child exploitation cases;

Increase the number of law enforcement agencies affiliated with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force to enhance forensic capabilities and maximize the number of cases that can be investigated and prosecuted;

Take advantage of the new Adam Walsh Child Protection Act;

Conduct law enforcement training at multiple sites throughout the state to aid in the identification and successful prosecution of child pornography cases;

Partner with children’s advocates, educators and social service providers to educate parents and children to the dangers online; and

Launch a public outreach and awareness campaign. The goal is to teach every child to know how to protect him/herself and how not to be the next victim of one of these predators.